ABSTRACT
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is the umbrella organisation of sport in Asia and considers itself in control of all aspects of sport on the world’s largest continent. It thus appears to have wide-ranging influence on the Olympic Movement and should be considered a central institutional player in Olympic policy-making. However, the National Olympic Committees that make up the OCA rarely voice united opinions. This chapter outlines the controversial foundation of the OCA as the succeeding body of the Asian Games Federation in 1981 and the close links between the OCA and national politics. It is argued that the OCA’s entire existence is built upon political quarrels and ideological differences in Asia, enforced through ineffective leadership. The resulting diverging political, economic and cultural interests make it appear almost impossible to unite the Asian Olympic Movement under the OCA’s umbrella.
